Vented glass fireplace screen



June 29, 1954 J. s. KOZLOWSKI v VENTED GLASS FIREPLACE SCREEN Filed Oct. 5, 1949 mm i\ im k m m s Q w mm mm 3 M w mm ww Q \m u @ILS.

Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a fireplace screen, and more particularly to a fireplace screen of the portable type novelly designed so as to permit its formation from glass or material having the same characteristics as glass.

Heretofore, the ordinary type of portable fireplace screen has been made in most cases from woven screen mesh material or the like. The disadvantages inherent in such conventional construction may be readily noted, it is believed, when one considers the fact that the woven mesh material not only does not give a clear View of the fire, but also, is easily damaged. during use.

I have had in mind, accordingly, the formation of a fire screen from glass material, whereby to provide a screen which will be completely impervious to the passage of sparks or the like, will give a clear view of the fire, and will be far more attractive to the eye than has heretofore been the case.

It is further an important object of the present invention to provide a glass fire screen wherein the glass is mounted in a specially designed frame, so that frame parts or glass panels can be swiftly and easily substituted, and wherein relative expansion and contraction between the metal frame and glass panel is permitted without excessive loosening or tightening of the connections between said panel and frame.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a glass fire screen constructed according to an embodiment of my invention.

Fi 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to that of Fig. 5 through a modified form of a divider strip joint.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and considering the form of the invention illustrated. I have here illustrated the invention as embodied in a fire screen having hinged side sections and a main center section. However, at this point it may be noted that the particular ornamental appearance as illustrated is not critical to the invention, the invention mainly residing in the mechanical construction of a fireplace screen including a glass panel and a particular mechanical arrangement of rear and front frame sections inclosing said panel.

Considering the formation of the center section of the illustrated example, I provide a rear base strip 5 secured to the back of an ornamental front base strip 6.

The rear side strips 7 are secured to the ends of the rear base strip 5 and extend upwardly therefrom, it being preferred that the ends of the side strips '1 abut against the ends of the rear base strip ii in a miter joint, and that said joints be welded. overlying the rear side strips l are the front side strips 8, there being a tongue and groove connection 9 between the strips 7, 8. The ends of the front strips 8 are connected to the ends of the front base strip S by a miter joint i t. Screws ll extending through the smooth-walled openings 39 formed in the rear strips 5, i are threaded into nuts 40 seated and held against rotation in longitudinal channels 'il extending the length of the front strips 6. Longitudinal slots 42 are formed in the rear surfaces of the front strips 6, ii and the screws ii extend through the slots 42 for the purpose of securing the rear frame member comprising the strips 5, l to the front frame member comprising the strips 6, 8. In other words, the rear strips define a rear frame section which can be rectangular or any other suitable shape desired according to the ornamental appearance which the fireplace screen is tohave, and said rear frame section is a single rigid member by reason of the welded joints connecting all the rear frame strips to each other. The front frame section defined by the strips: 6, 8 and also by top strips to be described comprises separate strips abutting against each other in a miter joint arrangement, but actually not connected to each other. Rather, the separate strips comprising the front frame section are each separately secured to the rigid rear frame section.

The rear surface of the front frame section is cut away along its entire inner periphery as shown at [8, and thus when the front frame section is connected by the screws H to the rear frame section, a channel I9 is defined that extends around the entire inner periphery of the frame, there being received in this channel the marginal portion of a solid glass panel 2!} having the sand blasted area 2| for monograms, ornamentation, etc. Interposed between the marginal portion of the glass panel and the walls of the described channel is the channeled asbestos gasket l9. As a result, it will be seen that in forming the fireplace screen, the glass panel and the gasket l9 are first properly positioned within the cutaway portion l8 of the front frame section. Then, the rear frame section is secured to the front frame section. As the rear frame strips are secured to the front frame strips, they compress between them the asbestos gasket l9, so that said gasket tightly grips the glass panel 20 in a manner to prevent vibration of the panel or loosening thereof within its frame. At the same time, the asbestos gasket allows for expansion and contraction relative to the metal frame and glass panel.

The glass panel can extend throughout the area defined by its surrounding frame. However, thi i not essential. I have illustrated a construction wherein a divider strip 22 comprises a front strip 43 having the centrally located longitudinal nut-receiving channel M and the side channels 45 and 46, that respectively receive the bottom edge of the glass panel 20, and the upper edge of an expanded metal grill 23 and of a woven mesh screen 24 disposed behind said grill. A rear strip 41 has a central tongue t8 and side flanges 49 and 50 respectively cooperating with the channels 45 and 16 to grip the panel and grill.

Flat springs 25 are placed in the channels at spaced intervals around the peripheries of the grill and screen, for the purpose of holding them tightly in said channels.

For the purpose of properly spacing the fireplace screen from the face of the fireplace, I provide in the illustrated example of the invention the spaced legs 26 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the bottom edge of the frame adjacent the corners thereof, and extending rearwardly from said frame so as to abut at their free ends against the face of the fireplace. These legs also serve the purpose of providing a stand that supports the fireplace screen in an upright position.

A welded back frame is designated 21 and the front frame section is designated 28, these frame sections being fashioned from extruded strip metal material and having a tongue and groove formation and nut-receiving channel. The front and back frames are joined by screws l l and nuts 40, so that they grip between them the asbestos gasket 30 received in the channel defined between the front and back frame sections, said channeled gasket in turn gripping the glass panel 20. Chains 32 may if desired be hung from the sides of the fireplace screen, it being understood that these chains would be hooked upon suitable hooks or the like mounted on the fireplace proper, when the fireplace screen is in use.

The dividing strip of the invention is illustrated at 22 and is channeled at top and bottom as in the case of the first form of the invention, the upper channel of the dividing strip receiving the lower edge of the glass panel 3 I, and the lower channel of said strip receiving the upper edge of the expanded metal grill 34 and of the woven mesh screen 35 disposed behind said grill. A plurality of fiat springs 38 spaced around the periphery of the grill and woven mesh screen press said screen and grill outwardly against one side wall of the receiving channel so as to hold them tightly in proper position.

Legs 31 that space the fireplace screen a proper distance from the fireplace, and that also serve 4 as a stand supporting the screen, are secured to the bottom of the fireplace screen at the corner thereof.

Additionally, in the second form of the invention I have illustrated spaced ornamental front stands 38 secured to the dividing strip 22 and to the bottom of the supporting frame, the stands 38 cooperating with the legs 26 to prevent the screen from falling from its upright position.

Referring to Fig. 6, this shows a modified divider strip joint. A joint divider strip 5| has a central nut-receiving channel 52 and one side flange 53. On the other side is a low rib 54 formed with a narrow groove 55 receiving the upper edge of the perforated metal sheet 56. A rear divider strip 51 has only one side fiange 58, cooperating with fiange 53 to grip the edge of a glass panel 59.

I believe it will be apparent from the above that the construction whichI have illustrated and described can be embodied in fireplace screens of various shapes and ornamentations. However, in all cases a solid panel having the characteristics of transparency and formed preferably from glass which will be resistant to widely varied changes in temperature, will be a component of the construction, gripped between the cooperating back and front frames. As a result, an attractive fireplace screen is provided that is at the same time highly efiicient and quite durable. Apart from these characteristics, the construction gives the screen the characteristic of economy over a long period of time, because any of the visible ornamental parts thereof are capable of individual replacement should they become dented or otherwise damaged.

It should be further brought out as an important characteristic of the invention that the construction devised is one that; produces highly desirable benefits so far as movement of air into a fireplace, visibility of the fire, and radiation of fireplace heat into a room are concerned. I provide these benefits by extending fully across the bottom of the screen the mesh grill 23 and screen member 24 extending upwardly a short distance from the bottom of the screen. The remaining portion of the screen, extending fully to the upper end thereof, is glass. As a result, when the screen is placed directly against the fireplace to cover the fireplace opening, the draft through the fireplace fiue will pull air in through the low grill portion only. The arrangement is one that eliminates the undesirable characteristic common to conventional fireplace screens whereby air is pulled from the room through the entire area of the screen and fireplace opening, said air that is pulled through conventional screens including air disposed a substantial distance above the floor and which is already at a comfortable temperature. The air drawn through the low grill portion of the present invention, however, will be the coolest air in the room, disposed near the fioor, rather than warmer air located at higher levels above the floor. Meanwhile, the glass portion of the present invention, while reventing the passage of air therethrough, still permits radiation of heat from the fire into the room, a single panel of glass being Well adapted for heat transfer. These results, in this connection, are accomplished while enclosing both the mesh and glass portions in a single surrounding frame and in an attractive and ornamental arrangement; in which visibility of the fire from within the room is increased.

What is claimed is:

A ventilated fireplace screen having an upper glass section and a contiguous lower open grill section providing an inlet for air, said screen comprising an outer frame embracing both the glass portion and grill portion and a horizontally disposed transverse intermediate frame member engaging the adjacent edges of the glass section and grill section, said outer frame comprising a front bar generally channel shaped in section and a back bar secured to said front bar, asbestos channel members secured between said front and back bars and receiving the glass sections therein, the intermediate frame members comprising front and back members generally U-shaped in section and securing the adjacent edges of both said glass section and said grill section, the outer frame member at and adjacent the bottom thereof embracing the side edge and bottom edge of the grill section and at and adjacent the top thereof embracing the side and top edge of said glass section,

spaced flat spring members disposed on opposite sides of said grill section, the adjacent sections of said frame members being welded together whereby to provide a composite enclosure and support for both of said sections, the asbestos channel members absorbing any unequal thermal expansion of the glass section and frame sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 984,384 McElaney et a1. Feb. 14, 1911 985,800 Hartbauer Mar. 7, 1911 1,113,938 Axe Oct. 20, 1914 1,177,605 Dripple 'Apr. 4, 1916 1,681,995 Miles Aug. 28, 1928 2,228,358 Lowry Jan. 14, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 90,583 Sweden Oct. 19, 1937 

